Walter Bonatti
Walter Bonatti (* June 22, 1930 in Bergamo, † 13 September 2011 in Rome ) was an Italian alpinist, photojournalist and author.
Life
Walter Bonatti is one of the most talented climbers of all time. The number of his first ascents and rerouting is remarkable. So has its own committed in the winter 1965 new Lead ( route ) through the Matterhorn north face until today only two repeats ( Catherine Destivelle in 1994 within 3 days and in 2006 Ueli Steck within 25 hours ).
Bonatti soon turned to the mountain sport and was already at the age of only 19 years in the most difficult faces in the Alps on the go. He rose through, inter alia, the east wall of the Grand Capucin ( 1951). The north faces of the Tre Cime (1953) and the Walker pillar of the Grandes Jorasses (1963 ) he defeated in the winter. With Carlo Mauri Bonatti reached on August 6, 1958 until then unclimbed summit of 7,932 m Gasherbrum IV in Pakistan.
In the spring of 1954, he participated in the Italian Karakorum expedition to one of the most difficult of all eight-thousanders, K2 part. Bonatti, who dragged along with the Pakistani carrier Mahdi oxygen for the first climbers Achille Compagnoni and Lino later Lacedelli up, had to refer to more than 8,000 m high free warehouse. In the falling darkness he could camp IX, which should have been built at the instigation of Compagnonis other than the agreed location, not locate it. The circumstances were later the subject of protracted discussions, during which Bonatti became the target of absurd accusations. Bonatti saw himself brought to the peak of success. He survived the bivouac without physical impairments, but was deeply disappointed internally and subsequently became the lone wolf. With the release of "K2 - Una storia finita " (K2 - A completed story ) of the Italian Alpine Club CAI (Club Alpino Italiano) Walter Bonatti for his contribution to the first ascent of K2 ( 8,611 m) has rehabilitated.
With his six-day movement on the south-west pillar of the Petit Dru in the Mont Blanc massif, now called " Bonattipfeiler " Walter Bonatti wrote in 1955 alpine history. Ten years later, in February 1965, he finished the extreme mountain climbing for himself with a solo winter ascent of the Matterhorn north face on a new direct Lead, which took him three bivouacs in the wall.
On July 10, 1961 Bonatti tried with Italian and French comrades at the Central Freney Pillar ( Mont Blanc). Only 90 meters below the phase-out in easy terrain, to the so-called Chandelle, they were surprised by a sudden fall and hit Pierre Kohlmann by lightning. In bad weather they were 60 hours stuck in the wall. As you descend through tons of fresh snow Kohlmann, Robert Guillaume, Andrea Oggioni and Antoine Vieille died of exhaustion and hypothermia. Only Bonatti, Roberto Gallieni and Pierre Mazeaud survived.
Since the self-imposed departure from extreme alpinism Bonatti was still much in mountains or other extreme areas of the world go. From 1965 to 1979 he traveled to nearly every continent, in order for the weekly magazine " Epoca " and the only two years published German monthly magazine " image of time" (which can partially be precursors of Geo ) to create photo essays.
For his extraordinary life's work alpinistisches Walter Bonatti was honored in 2009 with the Mountaineers price of Piolet d'Or.
Bonatti wrote more than 20 books.
He lived with his wife, actress Rossana Podestà, Dubino in Valtellina since 2005.